jleamont

You're welcome. Hopefully he gets you back on the road soon!

SgtB, Welcome to the FMCA forum! I see we share some common experience. Thank you for posting the information above, it is good useful information for some and better reading material for others. Especially this line; "If you run any kind of business from your RV ( traveling to car shows to sell Model A parts), you are in fact a real CMV and will need DOT authority, medical card, full CDL, logbooks and apportioned plates etc". This is often not thought about until you are standing in front of a judge. Do you own a Motorhome/FMCA member or did you stumble across this in a internet search?

Jack, the parking brake internal components were the same on the 1990 Ford F-Superduty (F-450), it carried over In later years on the E-450 in a class C circa 1996 and up, it was dropped off at some point when the parking brakes were moved to inside the rear drums, I just can't recall when. Some subtle differences like where the speed sensor was located in the later years but the bearings, seals and brake shoes and drums were the same throughout all of the years.

Drew, I am very familiar with that set up. I actually have a parking brake unit sitting on a shelf in my shed . The transmission has a gasket between the brake unit and the transmission, there is a seal going into the brake and coming out of the brake unit. The brake unit has its own fluid inside, this is one of those items that is often overlooked when servicing the coach and the fluid almost never gets changed. Those seals are available he will have to do some research or pull them and go to the local auto parts store to pick them up. I do recommend putting Synthetic ATF in the brake unit when it goes back on, it should help keep it cooler. As far as the transmission, those are fairly simple to rebuild and there are plenty of aftermarket parts to make it stronger, see the links Bill attached above.

Five, out here those type of places are unusual and if they sell diesel its usually very tight. Example the one closest to my house that sells diesel I can barely get out with my car, it bottoms out. the coach would most likely get hung up and have to be towed off with wrecker. I learned the hard way with the old coach, the hitch bottomed out at a fuel stop and the drive axle was hanging in the air, luckily I had some forward momentum going and I sunk the gas to the floor when I heard the hitch grinding into the asphault, 4 black marks and a bunch of smoke later I got off of it . If you travel up this way just be careful, Google earth would be a help especially street view.

Carl, no heartburn.... I didn't add the stuff I sent you a picture of. 'Ill experiment with that later, made it just like always and toned it back just a tad so there is some heat but after the flavor. You are correct, cant wait to hang out with them and talk coach stuff.

Rand McNally GPS. Banks doesn't make anything for the ISL, and come to think of most of the other aftermarket companies don't either. I only have a Scan Gauge now mounted just above my camera monitor and it might give MPH as an option, not sure. When I roll through a construction zone and they have those speed limit radar signs I am always matching them, so I figured it is accurate.

ke4jr, since it sounds like you will be cutting of a portion of your trip, perhaps modify it? Here are some recommendations; At the #3 I would head Northeast into TN via I 59 in AL to I20 back to I59 to I75 and into TN. Head up into the Smoky Mountains (park the coach somewhere around Pigeon Forge TN and take the Jeep) Beautiful drive down the Blue ridge Parkway. If you like country music, the Band Alabama has a museum just off of I59 at toward the top of AL, http://www.thealabamaband.com/fanclub.html we passed by it and I am planning on heading back to check it out. Also along the way is rock city which we added to our list, link; http://www.seerockcity.com/ Along the way I highly recommend this state park, http://www.tannehill.org/ friend of ours that are also FMCA members recommended this place and we were WOWED when we walked around the following day. Sites are first come first serve. They have full hookups, no hookups and some hookups. It was by for the most beautiful state park we have ever seen and the historic side of it was fascinating and sent it over the top! I could spend days there and not get bored. If you decide to go that way post back I can recommend a few places in TN to eat that were also great and not expensive.

Sid, check in the bathroom between the sink and the shower. I found a post on the web when I Googled your model and another person had the same problem. They are usually between the power cord and the fuse box, presumably on the same side of the coach tucked away, where exactly is always a mystery. Link; http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=52945.0 Carl, you should be up here enjoying "Yankee" Chili with RSbilledwards, Obedb and myself this weekend. I would have picked you up a box of wine on my way up and I always have blocks of cheese and pepperoni on board from the local cheese monger. Kay, thank you for the recommendation, I think I may make something from small cargo pull straps, all I will have to alter is the clip where it attaches to the tray.

I am 1 mph off of my GPS and when I pass those signs with the radar on them it is accurate. I have no faith in my GPS and its accuracy, if it gets the MPH right it will be the only thing it has ever gotten right . Economy mode is a joke, absolutely useless all it does is stop the transmission from a down shift when its needed. I may use it to see how high my EGT gauge will go , since it will wide open throttle my engine without a downshift and lug it up a hill, which is exactly what you don't want to do with a diesel engine pulling a load. I get better MPG's if I don't use cruise control or economy and pay attention to the terrain ahead.

Glad to hear. I noticed my friends Tiffin had the outer wheel stems spun for access. I'll do mine when it's time for new tires. I'm at 3413 now on my oldest (drives) still have a way to go.

The cook top in the photo was $299 on eBay, other than a jig saw blade and a switch it was very simple to install if you decide to go that route.

Tom, do you have wheel weights hanging on your wheels?

Rich, zoom in on the controls in my photo. I can raise or lower the heat and power level to the burner. Which is pretty linear when you think about it, you just cant see it like an open flame. While it is a little confusing at first having two controls it does warm up faster than propane and cools just as fast, but without all of the excess heat around the pot or pan and no fumes. I will caution everyone, don't try and run one on a MSW inverter, it doesn't like that and will not turn on. You stop to cook run the generator.

I guess I'm green

Yours just snaps on? Never saw that before. My old coach had two secondary lug nuts opposing each other and a hand tool (T handle) that slid over those two lugs (with SS caps) you simply unscrewed those two and pulled it off. Behind the cover was two studs that attached to the excess wheel stud. like this https://m.summitracing.com/parts/pho-nh8494?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-phoenix-usa&gclid=CNal0oHJjc8CFYFkhgodLZ0DPw my old coach was equipped with Phoenix wheel simulators, same as an Ambulance.

Mark, one more thing to add as it happed to me. My gauge is inaccurate by 20 degrees. So when I am seeing 200 I am actually at 180, I monitor it electronically now with "Scan Gauge" so I can prolong the gray hair for as long as possible .

Blake, interesting story , glad you were so close when the problems occurred. Both purchases for us the dealer gave us a 60 day bumper to bumper warranty, only on the DP did I have to use it. My washer/dryer also leaked, just internally tossed that thing out the door and forgot about it. While we have never purchased new, doubt we ever will. Both times (and one was in the winter) the dealers had the units hooked up to water. We went through them front to back under the hood etc, flowed water into the tanks, ran the pump and pulled it from the fresh tank. They showed us how to use everything. The 1st coach was bought in Mt Pocono PA in February (20 degrees outside that day and cloudy), when we were done they showed me how to winterize it and we did it together. I have read bad experiences with purchasing new and used but haven't experienced it yet for myself.

Here is the one I removed, my knobs are slightly melted...form the excess heat mentioned above that surrounds a pot while cooking. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/seaward--princess-two-burner-drop-in-stove-top-with-grate--404626

Below is a photo of the installation I completed in our coach. Glad to be rid of the propane cook top. The induction not only cooks faster it also produces no fumes inside and very little heat excess heat. I removed a double burner "Princess" unit, still have it if anyone wants it. Free to a good home

Yep, my TPMS saved me twice, once a chaffed extension hose and the other a leaking tire. Wont leave home without it now!

Jim and Blake, have you stood behind the toad with the brakes applied connected to the coach and by itself? All of the ones I have seen with this type of set up never hit the reflector properly in the brake lights and the end result is very dim stop lamps. My 03 Jeep had LED stop lamps, so these wouldn't have worked, I just used the Diodes on that vehicle. In todays world since most drivers are distracted for one reason or another I always want to have the brightest of lights, especially stop lamps. I have tried to find a replacement 3rd brake light for the coach that flashes a few times when you step on the brake.

Puff, I get labeled rolling into most CG's with a DP and a Jeep in tow and people will not talk to me, you will have the most peaceful camping experience with a Caddy toad .

I can tell you the RV TP doesn't fully dissolve either, I watch it in my clear elbow as it enters the hose. I have to agree with Bill, the right amount of water and it shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately my space age electric flush toilet puts 1/3 of the right amount of water in the tank, so I'm out until I replace it with a foot flush. Herman, the topic seems appropriate for a Camping world discussion